For the third straight year, Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the men’s 100 meter dash at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Sunday and is continuing his reputation as being the worlds fastest man.
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Fellow American LaShawn Merritt, bronze medalist in the 400m final, ran 20.15 to win his heat with experienced French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre also through in second.
Usain Bolt has run the last Olympic 100m race of his life, and while it won’t be filed among his most electrifying, as he put it, it’s the gold medal that counts.
The world’s fastest man already holds both the world record at 19.19 seconds and the Olympic record at 19.30 in the 200m.
Winning the 200-meter would take Bolt one step closer to a “triple-triple” – three consecutive gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100 relay (and yes, Bolt, along with his teammates at the 2012 games, set that record, too).
Australia’s Alex Hartmann, making his Olympic debut, was fifth in his heat in 21.02 but did not qualify for the semi-finals.
“I’d like to stay in the sport to continue inspiring youngsters”, he said.
“If by any chance it doesn’t happen, I’m going to feel sad because I didn’t do what I wanted to accomplish. Thanks for your support, keep on supporting me, I have two more races to go, so watch out”, he added.
“I came out here to qualify”, Bolt said, “and that’s what I did”.
Silver medal victor Justin Gatlin was booed by spectators at the Olympic Stadium in Rio on Monday night as he walked up to the podium to collect his silver medal.
Most fans who did show were crowded along the opening curve, and they made plenty of noise when Bolt came onto the track.
He laughed when somebody suggested Gatlin could take him down over his favorite distance and repeated his claim that his own 19.19 seconds world record from 2009 was within range. “I have to run fast, and so I’m looking forward to that”. “So I’m going to run with that one”, he said.
Next across the line was De Grasse, the heir apparent to Bolt, with a personal best of 9.91 seconds. Ruth Jebet of Bahrain captured the 3,000-meter steeplechase title, with Emma Coburn picking up the bronze – the first female to win a medal in the event for the United States.
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Despite his victory on Sunday, Bolt suffered the rare experience of being upstaged on the track by South African Wayde van Niekerk’s 400m world record of 43.03.
